New Delhi, Feb 6 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded the role of the middle class in the country's growth and said their aspirations are giving impetus to the nation's progress.

Replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in Rajya Sabha, he recalled how the government recognised the middle class by giving more money in their hands by making their income up to Rs 12 lakh tax-free.

Modi said in 2013, income of only Rs 2 lakh was free from income tax while his government has raised it to Rs 12 lakh. He also said that for people over 70 years of age, we are providing them benefits under the Ayushman Yojna.

He also claimed that 25 crore people were taken out of poverty which was a matter of pride for them.

"A neo-middle class has emerged in our country. My government is standing with strong commitments with this neo-middle class. Aspirations of the neo-middle class and middle class are giving impetus to the nation's progress," he said.

Asserting that the BJP-led NDA believed in 'santushtikaran' (satisfaction) not 'tushtikaran' (appeasement) and implemented affirmative action and reservations including 10 per cent EWS quota without causing "any conflict in society".

"When EWS reservation was given, SCs and STs both welcomed it," said the PM adding that the current generation must know how and why their parents endured suffering under past governments.

Noting that it was due to the proactive NDA approach on digital technologies that people were able to easily access services today, the PM said under the Congress it took "eight to 10 years to buy a scooter and a government permission to sell it." Without naming former finance minister P Chidambaram, Modi said, "A former FM of Congress who considers himself very knowledgeable had admitted once that no work could be done in India without a licence permit and licences could not be procured without bribes. Anyone can understand who indulged in bribery in those days, whose palm it was." Modi added that a sitting Congress member's (Jairam Ramesh) father had the money to buy a car but had to wait 15 years to buy it.

"MPs were given coupons to provide 25 gas cylinders in their areas. Telephone connections took years...These restrictions and licence raj policies pushed India into the world's slowest economic growth rate slab.

"This weak growth rate came to be called the Hindu rate of growth. A whole society was abused over the failures of one government steeped in corruption. Due to economic mismanagement and wrong policies of a royal family, an entire society was held guilty and defamed worldwide," he claimed.

Modi said licence raj was never part of Indian psyche which believed in free trade.

"Today the whole world has started recognizing India's capacity, the world is watching Bharat rate of growth and we are expanding our economy," the PM said to a thunderous applause by the treasury benches.

Modi said free from the clutches of Congress, today the country is breathing a sigh of relief and is also flying high.

"We are promoting Make in India by coming out of the licence raj and evil policies of the Congress," he said.

"We have adopted the approach of saturation so that every moment of the resources and time that India has is utilised for the progress of the country and for the common people.

"Whatever plans are made, those for whom they are made should get 100 per cent benefit from them. We have moved our work forward by coming out of the situation that some were given it and some were not," the PM said.

He said the entire world has started recognising the economic potential of India, today the world is seeing us as a fast growing country and every Indian is proud of this.

"The amount of work that has been done during our tenure by our government to empower the poor, has never been done before. We have shaped our schemes in the direction of empowering the poor and enabling the poor to defeat poverty.

"I have full faith in the poor of my country and their capabilities. If given the opportunity, he can overcome any challenge. The poor have shown it and by taking advantage of the schemes and availing the opportunities, 25 crore people have succeeded in defeating poverty," he noted.

Modi also said the nation's youth have the most important role in the making of Viksit Bharat.

"In the last 10 years, we have taken several steps to strengthen this base. After nearly three decades, we brought in a New Education Policy. Nearly 10,000-12,000 PM-SHRI Schools have been built and we're working to build more," he said.

"We've also brought in education and examinations in one's mother tongue," he noted.

People who have come out of multidimensional poverty have worked very hard, he added. PTI NKD MJH SKC KVK KVK